Tallahassee, FL – The Florida House voted unanimously Wednesday to pass a bill that would clear the way for a new Volusia County hospital that has been at the center of a legal fight. With no debate, the House voted 117-0 approve the measure (HB 523), sponsored by Rep. David Santiago, R-Deltona.

The proposal (HB 523) would allow the public Halifax Hospital Medical Center to operate hospitals outside the boundaries of its taxing district. The measure stems from a legal battle about a decision by Halifax, which is based in Daytona Beach, to build a hospital in Deltona, which is outside the district boundaries.

After a legal challenge to the decision, a circuit judge ruled that Halifax did not have the authority to issue bonds for the hospital outside the boundaries. Halifax appealed to the Supreme Court, which heard arguments in February but has not ruled.

Santiago said last month that Deltona has been “crying for many years” for a hospital. “This is a big deal for my county,” Santiago told a House panel. The Senate does not have a similar bill, according to the House website.

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